Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are widely used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. In recent years GBCAs have been suspected of undergoing transmetalation processes in vivo resulting in Gd deposits in the human body.
To assess the possibility of GBCA transmetalation, we developed a LC-MS/MS method for the quantitative detection of gadolinium and a series of biologically relevant metal ions bound to the DOTA-ligand. The method is based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled to multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of detection was found to be 6 nmol/L, corresponding to a total amount of 17 pg Gd-DOTA per single injection.

This work was carried out in the group of Prof. Dr. Stefan Schürch.